Gay

Each video is ranked out of six (6) possible points based on six (6) criteria that are worth fifteen (15) points each, for a total of ninety (90) possible points. Analyses and descriptions are provided by a group of individuals that self-identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans*, Queer, or Ally. For more information on our grading process, descriptions, and analyses, please visit our Rubric Page.

1. Joel Burns Tells Gay Teens It Gets Better [5.86]

Description

Queer: A city councilman in Texas shares a painful personal story and assures teens that life will get better.

Gay: I loved the honesty in his video. I also love how even though he knew he could have political consequences, he was still bold enough to put his story out there.

Queer: We think that this definitely needs to be in the toolkit: it is in a city council room in Texas, done by an upstanding member of the community, and it was so emotional and personal and everything.It was also really important to say that he was bullied not because of his identity; he was bullied because of how he was perceived.

Gay: This video was extremely sad, which made it very effective. However it also had a motivational message, which was that we as lgbt youth need to stand up and fight for our equality.

Lesbian: The video was very moving. He made his point of the importance of marriage equality very clear, and explained his situation very well. I think it could have an effect on people who do not realize how important it can be. Also, the media itself was put together very well, which made it powerful.

Gay: I liked the his story shows how hiding who you really are can be so detrimental and draining.

Queer: He did a very good job of balancing the light, funny tone with the serious message without making it seem like he wasn't taking it seriously. It was effective, and the personal element really makes it better.

Ally: We liked how all of the stories he felt emotional about and spoke from the heart

Queer: The videos are more effective when they aren't filmed in the studio. He seemed like one of the most effective and genuine celebrities, and we think it would really have an impact on someone thinking of killing themselves. Also, it's Spock.

Lesbian: I found the video to be very uplifting. I think it would give hope to LGBTQ teens who wonder whether a "normal" relationship would be possible for them, and would make homophobic people rethink gay relationships. I liked how it included the happy parts as well as the sad parts of relationships, so it made it more real.

Bisexual: I liked the fact that it was silent but loud at the same time, It became loud at the end when he proposed to his boyfriend which was so sweet.

Lesbian: I found the story to be very sweet and uplifting. It also shows how a lot of people deny their orientations at first to their parents, and how it can be surprising how well members of families can take the news.

Ally: We liked the fact that the speaker's grandmother accepted him for who being gay.

Gay: I like the message behind the video because fighting to get what you want is a message that can be universal rather than just aimed towards LGBT youth.

Queer: The only reason we rated this lower than the others is because we have seen more inspiring; it was good on its own but this might not be the best to include in a toolkit because it only appeals to a narrow base of people.

Gay: The video was of an older gay man sharing some of the history of the activist groups for HIV awareness in Philadelphia. He also shared his experience with knowing someone who has HIV. We liked that the video had a major history aspect to it. A lot of times young gay youth shun the older gay men, seeing them as trolls, but they are the ones who fought early on for equality. Thus this video is good for sort of bridging the gap between older gays and younger gays.